Linking the MTA with 311 is a Component of the Mayor’s Mass Transit Reform Plan

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman and CEO Jay Walder and Department of
Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) Commissioner Paul J. Cosgrave today
toured the City’s 311 Call Center and agreed to explore the use of 311 to
deliver mass transit information to the public. Currently, the MTA has
more has more than 20 phone numbers for subway, bus and MetroCard related
inquiries and the MTA’s website lists more than 60 “Useful Phone Numbers,” each
for specific inquiries and with varying hours of operation. Additionally,
311 operators – who receive more than 370,000 MTA-related calls each year –
cannot fully service MTA-related calls and those calls are transferred to one of
the MTA’s many call centers. The Mayor and Chairman agreed to work
together to see if the 311 could be the right fit for the MTA’s customer service
needs.

“We pledged to build a stronger relationship
between the City and the MTA, so we can build the modern and efficient mass
transit system New York City deserves,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Today, we
take the first step by agreeing to work toward utilizing the power of 311 to
make life a little easier for the 8.5 million people who take mass transit every
day in the city. If we can have one number to call to receive subway and bus
information, report problems or get directions, it would bring the same great
service that New Yorkers have gotten from City government since 2003 to the
MTA.”

“The MTA must make it easier for our
customers to access the information they need to navigate our transportation
network,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Walder. “Maintaining so many different
numbers is confusing to riders and not the most cost-effective solution. I look
forward to working with Mayor Bloomberg as we explore ways to improve our
customer service and operate more efficiently.”

“Much as we have done for quality of life
issues, human services referral and public school information, 311 is committed
to consistently enhancing the ways in which it serves New Yorkers,” said DoITT
Commissioner Cosgrave. “We welcome this exciting new partnership with the
MTA to explore expanding the mass transit information available by calling or
logging on, and to provide the quality customer service the public has come to
expect from 311.”

Approximately 60 percent of all MTA-related
calls received by 311 are subway and bus information inquiries.

The MTA currently tracks calls and
complaints and the use of 311 could bolster the agency’s accountability efforts
through 311’s call and outcome tracking. 311 is currently used by the City
as an accountability tool, with data and outcomes tracked, and made publicly
available for the public to see in the Citywide Performance Review and Mayor’s
Management Report.

Announced by Mayor Bloomberg in his 2002
State of the City Address, 311 is New York City’s phone number for all
non-emergency government information and services, operating 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, 365 days a year, and providing language translation services
in nearly 180 languages. 311 can also be accessed from anywhere in the
world by dialing (212) NEW-YORK, via Skype, or online at www.nyc.gov/311. Users can follow
‘311NYC’ on Twitter as well.

In 2008, Mayor Bloomberg announced that 311
would be expanding to include comprehensive human services information and
referrals from non-profit and community based organizations citywide. In
October 2009, 311 was enhanced for public school families, providing an
easy-to-use resource for parents and guardians seeking answers about their
children’s education.

With 50,000 calls daily and nearly 90
million calls since inception, 311 has become a model for non-emergency
government service numbers around the world, including in Denmark, Germany,
Ireland and the United Kingdom. The cities of Philadelphia, Newark and San
Francisco have all established non-emergency service numbers based on New York
City’s 311 model.